What Makes Marriage So Sacred?

Marriage means different things to different people. Even the Supreme Court was divided on ruling (5 to 4) the Constitutionality of same-sex marriage. Based on surveys and how each state has voted on the definition of marriage, the United States is divided on what is marriage and who should be able to partake in it. There has been and there will continue to be a debate about marriage in our country. It is a very sensitive topic for people on both sides of the debate. What we have to understand though is that it doesn’t matter what we “think” or “believe” what marriage is or who can partake in it. Instead we must accept completely what God says marriage is, who can partake in it and more importantly why marriage is so sacred.

To understand God’s view of marriage (which is the most important view), the definition of marriage will be identified in His Word. Since God cannot lie nor does He contradict Himself, His Word can be trusted all the time. Since the God of the Bible is the only true God in this world, His Word is supreme in all cases and in all areas of life. Since this is the case, it is important for anyone to understand this since everyone should desire to honor and obey the Almighty God especially in a relationship that He created in the first place. So what does God say marriage is and more importantly, what makes marriage so sacred?

In Genesis chapters 1 through 3, we find that marriage is a sacred union God established and honored back in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. God gave the man the responsibility to be the head of the home. God gave the woman the responsibility to be a helper in the home and to help her husband. It was a beautiful union that not only provided companionship for the man and woman, but also was the union that permitted man and woman to be fruitful with having children. With the children created from a married couple, the mother was to be a keeper at home as well as provide for the home’s needs (as described in Proverbs 31). The Father was instructed to work and provide for the family, love his wife as Jesus loves the church, and raise the children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 5; Ephesians 6; Colossians 3; 1 Timothy 3:12; Titus 2; I Peter 3). Marriage was (and still is) the foundation of the family God created in Genesis. It was (and still is) to be honored above all relationships second to our personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Did you ever wonder though why marriage is the most exalted union between two people and receives the greatest benefits in this world? It isn’t just because it is a sacred union God created and intended to be between one man and one woman. It isn’t just because it was the union God ordained for children to be conceived. It isn’t merely because man made laws to acknowledge it. It isn’t merely because the IRS provides benefits to married couples. It isn’t a union just to satisfy or demonstrate a type of love humans have for each other. It isn’t even what the world thinks of it when it comes to the ability to grant inheritance/benefits after one spouse departs from this life. No, marriage means and symbolizes so much more than all of these things and whether people on either side of the debate realize this or not, that is why there is so much concern about how marriage is treated in our country.

For example, did you know that the Bible relates marriage to our relationship with Jesus Christ? Did you know that marriage is the only relationship the Bible refers to with respect to Jesus Christ returning to gather His people? Did you know that the true church of God, (not some denomination or church congregation named “church of God”) which only God adds people to through repentance of believers in Jesus Christ, is the only church Jesus is coming back for? Did you know that this church is pure, without spot or blemish, holy, righteous, and sin free because those in God’s church have been washed by the blood of the Lamb and obey God’s Word? Did you know that God's church is THE ONLY CHURCH that will make it to Heaven? Did you know that God's church is called the “bride” and Jesus is called the “bridegroom”? Did you know that Jesus loved sinful people so much that He willingly gave His life through the most horrible form of death (scourging and crucifixion) in order for them to become His Bride (by repenting through faith and belief in Jesus Christ and obeying and upholding God’s Word)? 

Furthermore, did you realize that how we treat marriage in our world today is symbolically demonstrating how we treat our relationship with Christ? Marriage has always been viewed as the greatest thing that can happen in a relationship between two people. Same with our relationship with Christ. Being married to Him (those who repent through faith and belief in Jesus Christ and obey and uphold God’s Word) has always been viewed as the greatest relationship between people and God. The marriage God created is based on His love. Same with our relationship with Christ. Jesus loves us enough to forgive us and we love Him enough to obey His commandments. Even though Jesus loves every sinner and saint, Jesus never demonstrated love for disobedience or for sin in people’s lives. Jesus always sought to save those that were lost in sin, never encouraged people to be the way there are (e.g. sinful). Jesus always sought to free people from their sin so that they could be His Bride which is His church that His Father adds to daily (Acts 2:47). This being said, if we ever treat marriage in such a way that is sinful or produces sin, then we have misrepresented the relationship with Christ since a relationship with Christ does not promote, justify, condone, or demonstrate sin. 

Christians that understand this will only honor and uphold the marriage God created because they know what it ultimately represents (which again is so much more than what the world thinks it means). Marriage is a sacred union that cannot be defiled in God’s eyes. Ways God’s marriage is defiled is through husbands not loving their wives as Christ loved the church, wives not loving their husbands and not submitting to be their helper, multiple spouses (e.g., polygamy), adultery (physical and in heart), fornication, out of wedlock pregnancies (e.g. due to fornication or adultery), divorce (e.g., except for where the Bible allows it), incest, pornography, and yes, same-sex “marriage” due to the acts of homosexuality (for any reason and in any case). This certainly is not an exhaustive list, however each of these ways are considered sin in God’s eyes and therefore would defile the marriage union He created and ordained. Since sin does not represent anything that is pure, holy, undefiled, righteous, without spot or blemish, these ways at a minimum could not represent a holy, sacred relationship and union God created and even more important cannot ever  represent our relationship with Him (since He is Holy and we are to be Holy like Him). 

Here is the bottom line. Marriage in this world is sacred because of THE ONE who created it. Marriage in this world is sacred because of what it ultimately symbolizes and represents - the relationship and union between Jesus and His Bride (those who repent through faith and belief in Jesus Christ and obey and uphold God’s Word). Therefore marriage in this world must continue to be undefiled and sacred due to its original intent. Marriage in this world must be held to a higher standard since THE ONE who created it made it a higher standard relationship compared to all other human relationships. We cannot rely on fallen man to dictate what marriage is. We must rely on the Holy Spirit to teach us all how and why marriage must be held to God’s expectation. 

The reason for all of this is because Jesus Christ is coming back one day. He is the bridegroom coming back for His bride. His bride is pure, holy, undefiled, righteous, incorruptible, and sin free! The bride is expected to be prepared and ready. So ARE YOU READY? The Bridegroom is coming to claim His Bride and He won’t be left to stand alone at the altar. He will have a Bride that is perfect and ready to spend eternity with Him. The question is then, ARE YOU THAT BRIDE?

See Bible verses below for reference:

Isaiah 61:10:

“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”

Jesus said in Matthew 22:2, 9, 11-14:

“The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,…Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage… And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Revelation 19:7-9:

“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.”

Revelation 21:9, 10, 27:

“And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God…and there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.”